New Delhi, Nov 11:
Sonia Gandhi, 79, calls it personal book: “Much written about my family, rarely with insight into who they were.”
What she says:
- Bachchans: Amitabh Bachchan name appears only 3 times, Jaya not at all. But warm references to his parents Harivansh Rai Bachchan and Teji Bachchan — who hosted Sonia when she arrived from Italy in 1968, gave puppy after loss of firstborn, taught Hindi. Quote: "You must know, Sonia beti, in this country it is not what you are that counts, it is what people think you to be." Fallout after Rajiv assassination implied.
- Modi: Most talked chapter. "To this day, I've had practically no real contact with him. We meet at semi-official gatherings — for instance, at Speaker's chamber." Encounters = formal namaste, "He tends to look away, avoiding eye contact." Contrast with past cordiality. Notes he sometimes asks "Theek hain aap?" after hospital stays. Says rivalry not personal but vision: "He was fighting for his vision of India, and I for mine: an India against hegemony, that stands for inclusiveness, secularism, social justice." Acknowledges common ground: both outsiders to Lutyens elite. Describes Modi's rise from underprivileged background through RSS: "He had certainly worked his way to power within RSS from an underprivileged world." Links his Nehru criticism to RSS conditioning.
- Vajpayee vs Others: Felt concern for Vajpayee during 2001 Parliament attack — "I rang him at once... he told colleagues I was first to call." No mention of LK Advani, Amit Shah at all.
- Personal: Grenades found in house after Operation Blue Star, grief over Indira 1984, Rajiv 1991, first child death, Emergency causing rift in family.
What she leaves out (omissions speak):
- Post-2004 UPA years, 2G, coal, Anna Hazare, Modi 2014 campaign, Rahul's elevation — barely covered. Political geeks disappointed.
- Sonia's own decision to not become PM in 2004, handling of PM Manmohan Singh — only passing.
- Bachchan family fallout details, Bofors friends.
http://Scroll.in notes: omissions reveal polarisation — when media asked, she says in 12 years Modi hasn't held solo press conference.
Analytical View:
Book is legacy shaping, not tell-all. Released months before 2029 Lok Sabha buildup, aims to humanise Gandhi family for Gen Z who didn't see Indira/Rajiv. By avoiding score-settling with Bachchans, BJP top brass, she keeps high ground.
But by contrasting Vajpayee warmth with Modi formality, she makes political point without saying it: era of consensus gone.
*Tags:* #SoniaGandhi #Belonging #Memoir #Bachchan #NarendraModi #Congress #Vajpayee